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Mask Mandates Expire In Oklahoma's Two Largest Cities

in this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt talks with the media in Oklahoma City. Holt The mayor of Oklahoma's largest city has publicly received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Sue Ogrocki
/
AP
in this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt talks with the media in Oklahoma City. Holt The mayor of Oklahoma's largest city has publicly received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

As of Friday, Oklahoma’s two largest cities have no mask mandate. City officials say they’re shifting their focus away from “stop the spread” and to vaccines.

"The role of municipal government in halting the spread of the virus has now ended, as it was always meant to," said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

One year, one month and 15 days after he first addressed the city about the oncoming public health emergency, he announced the end of the city’s mask mandate. Tulsa’s mask mandate also ended on Friday. 

Holt noted that in its worst times, Oklahoma County was seeing 1,000 new cases daily and about 700 people would be hospitalized across the county. Those figures have fallen by 90 percent. Statewide, the new case average is less than 300 a day. 

He said this is a new chapter, when vaccinations take priority.

 

"As you watch me speak these words right now, you are just a click, a phone call and a short drive away from your vaccination — something people around our planet are desperate for."

Despite abundant vaccine supply, only about a quarter of Oklahoma adults have completed their vaccine series.

 

StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.

Catherine Sweeney grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and attended Oklahoma State University. She has covered local, state and federal government for outlets in Oklahoma, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
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